Updated for the 2021-2022 academic year
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Jennifer C. Genovese, Ph.D., ACSW, LCSW
MSW IVMSW Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor
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Passing graduate social work courses is not an automatic acceptance into program. Students are admitted based on a number of criteria, only one of which is grades. Learn more about getting admitted.
Field Education
Field education occurs throughout the graduate social work curriculum and is concurrent with specific coursework. Please see the School of Social Work Field Instruction Manual for specific field education policies and procedures.
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MSW/MFT Dual Degree: Students are required to complete separate internships with the Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy programs. In Social Work, students follow curriculum specific requirements as appropriate to their status.
Academic Advising
Each matriculated graduate student is assigned an academic advisor who is a member of the faculty or professional staff in their degree program(s). Academic advising is a shared responsibility between the student and the academic advisor. The student has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring academic progress. Efforts are made to preserve continuity of advisor assignment throughout the student's course of study and changes to advisor assignments are only done in exceptional situations with the approval of the Director of the MSW program. The academic advisor provides the consultation and guidance necessary to foster the professional development of the student. The advisor aids the student in the selection of courses, in registration, in meeting degree certification requirements, and in assessing professional interests and development. Students are required to meet with their advisors before registering for courses each semester and submit an electronic SCORE registration form, signed by the advisor and the student, and electronically to the Social Work office before completing the registration process online in MySlice.
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Students are not permitted to bring visitors (friends, spouses, partners, children, clients, etc.) to class sessions. Clinical cases may be discussed and/or students may disclose sensitive or confidential information about clients or themselves during class discussions. Social Work students have a code of professional conduct that is reviewed during orientation and is available online on the Code of Student Contact page. There is a mechanism in place for sanctioning students if they violate professional behavior in any way. Interpreters, medical providers and other such assistants are expected to behave within the school’s professional code of conduct and are only permitted to participate in class discussions with permission of the instructor.
Appendix C: Academic Progress and Professional
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General Principles: School of Social Work
Behavior in The School of Social Work
I. General Principles for Academic Progress and Professional Behavior
Social Work students have a code of professional conduct that is reviewed during orientation and is available online on the Code of Student Conduct page. There is a mechanism in place for sanctioning students if they violate professional behavior in any way. Academic performance relates both to grades and to personal qualities including values and interpersonal skills that demonstrate the potential for effectively working with clients in the field placement component of the MSW degree program. The School of Social Work embraces its ethical responsibility to protect clients from harm. In the field placement, the importance of the student-client relationship supersedes that of classroom performance. Unethical, threatening, or otherwise unprofessional conduct will be closely examined. The School of Social Work retains the right to take academic disciplinary action in accordance with the procedures described in this statement when the student's behavior indicates an inability to effectively communicate and to develop the type of interpersonal relationships that are required in social work practice.
The formal process for handling such concerns will observe the following principles: (Note the established time frames in the letter that you receive.)
- Identification, assessment, and notification of the student in academic difficulty will occur as early and often in the course of
- as often as possible during graduate study as possible and necessary
- .
- Policy and procedures governing graduate student academic progress will be routinely and regularly publicized to inform students and faculty. Appropriate due process will be observed for the benefit of the student and the faculty member(s).
- All actions taken, within procedures, are to be placed in writing addressed to the relevant party with copies to others involved. All
- policies developed will be coordinated with other aspects of the School of Social Work (e.g. grading policies), College policies, and with the "University Rules and Regulations" as they apply to graduate students.
- The Director of the School of Social Work is responsible for the termination of a given student's matriculated status in the MSW program, working with the Falk College Dean's office and the Graduate School.
- All matters related to identification, assessment, and notification of the matriculated student in academic difficulty will be coordinated by the Director of the MSW Program.
- Individual faculty members are responsible for the evaluation of student academic performance, the preparation of reports on student progress, and the award of grades in courses they teach.
II. Criteria for Determining Student Standing
The criteria for determining student standing in the graduate program may include:
- Attendance in the classroom ; Attendance in
- and field instruction ;
- .
- Behavior that provides relevant information reflecting likely performance as a social work practitioner;
- Performance in classroom tests or other evaluation exercises ;
- .
- Performance in field instruction assignments as defined by the field learning contract
- professional development plan and/or field evaluation instruments;
- Overall GPA.
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III. Standards for Student Standing
Student standing in the MSW program will be determined through application of the following standards:
Good standing:
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Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and P for all field instruction registrations to date
Probation: Cumulative GPA less than 3.0, or I for any field instruction registration to date; or poor interpersonal skills, unethical, threatening or otherwise unprofessional conduct
Dismissal: Probationary status for two consecutive semesters; or F for any field instruction registration; or unacceptable interpersonal skills, unethical, threatening or otherwise unprofessional conduct
- When computing the GPA, the grade I is calculated as an F, and the grade P
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- is excluded from the calculation. Grades of I (Incomplete) awarded in classroom courses, and accompanied by complete and unexpired
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- request for
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- incomplete that indicate the student’s work to date is satisfactory, will not be considered in the cumulative GPA for purposes of rendering decisions regarding a student’s academic standing. However, a letter from the Director of the School may be sent to a student who has a grade of I at the end of a semester, reminding them of the policies associated with an I grade and the fact that an
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- incomplete will revert to an F if the work is not completed in the agreed upon time.
- Matriculated, part-time graduate students will be subject to review for probation at the conclusion of each term.
- Advanced Standing students will be evaluated after their first semester. If the cumulative GPA is less than 3.0, F for any field instruction, unacceptable interpersonal skills, unethical, threatening or otherwise unprofessional conduct, students will be referred for an academic hearing and subject to dismissal from the program.
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IV. General Procedures for Identification of Concerns with Academic or Professional Conduct
- The Office
- Director of the MSW Program Director
- School of Social Work is responsible for the identification, assessment, and notification of the student in academic difficulty. Procedures identified below are to guide the execution of that responsibility in conjunction with teaching faculty, faculty advisors, and the Academic Hearing Board
- and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work.
- Faculty and professional staff are responsible for early identification of students in academic difficulty within the courses they teach.
- Faculty and professional staff are responsible to submit
- use the Orange Success System to alert the School of Social Work Office mid-semester deficiency reports on
- student and faculty advisors of any deficiencies regarding each student in academic difficulty in their classes and/or field liaison assignments. The School of Social Work Office is responsible for informing the academic advisor and the student of the mid-semester deficiency report(s). Academic advisors
- Academic advisors along with the course faculty member are responsible for helping the student clarify the nature of the academic difficulty and assisting the student in developing a plan for corrective action.
- Each student’s academic standing that is based upon student transcript data will be reviewed at the conclusion of each semester, and
- including the summer session for Advanced Standing and all online students. Field
- Internship Placement Coordinators and field instructors are responsible for informing the Office of Field Instruction of students whose behavior shows potential for serious risks to clients in the field placement. The Director of the Office of Field Instruction
- Field Education is responsible for determining whether to work with the student, field instructor, and field
- internship placement coordinator to develop a plan for corrective action, terminate the placement or refer the issue to the Academic Hearing Board
- and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work for more formal review and action. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics serves as a guide in making professionally responsible decisions, as well as relevant sections of the New York State Education Law and Regents Rules and Regulations, regarding good moral character and conduct in the social work profession.
- The Director of the School of Social Work shall be responsible for action on all students not in good academic standing as follows:
Probation: The MSW Program Director sends written notification to the student of their placement on academic probation, with a copy of that notification sent to the advisor.
Dismissal: The MSW Program Director - The Director of the School of Social Work shall notify students of their dismissal from the program based upon the standards previously described. .
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V. Role of the Academic Progress and Professional
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Behavior Review Board
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The School of Social Work Academic
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and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work via The School of Social Work policy for academic progress and professional behavior addresses two distinct areas of student academic standing:
- The grade point average and academic standing of graduate students;
- students
- Professional behavior and ethical conduct of both graduate and undergraduate students.
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Thus, the Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work
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has two purposes:
- The first purpose is to hear graduate student appeals
- request for review of progress pending dismissal from the MSW program because the student’s overall grade point average has been below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.
- The second purpose is to hear and respond to allegations of unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance by a graduate student. These are both issues of concern because knowledge, skill, and value expectations can be considered academic criteria in a professional program as they relate to a student's likely performance as a social work practitioner. Applying a knowledge base in practice, demonstrating professional relationship skills and behavior with clients and colleagues (in the agency or classroom) that is consistent with the values and ethics of the profession are all components of academic standing in a professional program. Inadequacies in these areas can affect standing in the MSW program and be the basis upon which a hearing is convened.
II. Convening the Academic Hearing Board
The Academic Hearing Board shall convene when:
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- review and respond to allegations of unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance by a graduate student.
VI. Convening the Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work
- A student requests a review of his or her pending dismissal from the MSW program.
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- For a request to reconsider dismissal, the student shall initiate the
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- review with a written request to the Director of the MSW Program.
- The request must be filed by the deadline established in the notification letter.
- It is to include a statement of specific reasons for the request, a plan of action proposed in lieu of dismissal, and a signed petition to support that plan if it includes repeating a course or courses.
- If the written
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- request is not received by the date in the letter of notification, application for re-admission will be required to pursue further study.
- A member of the faculty or School administration submits a written request for a
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- review based upon a student's unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance.
- A member of the faculty, the Director of Field
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- Education, or another Social Work administrator shall initiate the process by submitting a written request to the Director of the School of Social Work.
- The request must outline
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- the basis for the
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- review.
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VII. Composition of Academic
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and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work
The Academic
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and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work shall be comprised of three voting members, consisting of two full time
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faculty and one full time professional field staff. All voting members serve on the
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Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work in rotation. In instances where any member of the
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Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work has direct involvement in the circumstances of the
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case or other conflict of interest, that member shall recuse
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themself and the Director of the School shall arrange for a substitute for that
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review.
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VIII.
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Practices of the Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work
- When there is a case to be heard
- review requested, the MSW Program Director shall convene the Academic Hearing Board to conduct the hearing, and will submit
- and Professional Review Board.
- The MSW Program Director will provide a summary to the Board prior to the meeting of the hearing
- Board, detailing the student’s academic history.
- When the Hearing
- Review is being called for reasons other than pending dismissal for academic reasons (i.e. GPA below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters), the MSW Program Director shall notify the student and the Academic Hearing
- Academic and Professional Review Board of the request for a hearing
- and provide both with a statement that forms the basis of the review request.
- The student shall be invited to appear before the Academic Hearing Board
- and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work. Other persons also may be invited to appear as follows:
- determined by the Review Board.
- In the case of an appeal
- a review of a dismissal, the student will elaborate grounds for reconsideration of the appeal
- dismissal and the plan of study proposed in lieu of dismissal.
- The student may also
- request that the Academic Hearing
- and Professional Review Board invite a faculty or professional staff member, student, or other person with
- to provide information relevant
- to the case to testify before the committee
- Board on the student's behalf.
- The Hearing Board
- Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work may seek advisory testimony
- evidence from any administrative or faculty sources within the School of Social Work regarding the student’s appeal
- petition, and/or plan of study proposed in lieu of dismissal.
- In the case of a hearing
- review request based upon an allegation of unprofessional conduct or inadequate professional performance, the student may request that the Academic Hearing Board
- and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work invite a faculty or professional staff member, student, or other person with information relevant to the allegation to testify before the committee
- provide information on the student's behalf. The Hearing Board may seek advisory testimony
- The Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work may seek information from any administrative, faculty or professional staff sources within the School of Social Work or persons from the student’s field agency (where appropriate) regarding the behavior that forms the basis for a hearing
- an inquiry on professional conduct. The
- Academic Hearing Board
- and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work must reach a unanimous recommendation regarding one of the following outcomes:
- Reverse the decision to dismiss the student with no contingencies required;
- Conditionally continue a student’s enrollment based on an agreement developed in collaboration with the student (including the option of a Leave of Absence).The agreement will specify:
- Plans for meeting program requirements
- Procedures for monitoring progress in executing those
plans - plans
- A timetable for the completion of those
plans - plans
- Dismiss the student from the program.
The Academic
Hearing Board and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work shall convey its written recommendation (including the plan for meeting program requirements where continued enrollment is permitted) to the Director of the School and the MSW Program Director.
The recommendations of the Academic and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work are advisory to the Director of the School of Social Work. Decisions by the Director of the School of Social Work are final and exhaust
appeals review options in the School of Social Work. Other avenues of appeal may be available through the Grievance Procedures of Falk College or the University Judicial System.
The MSW degree will not be conferred upon students who do not have a final minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and are not in good standing regarding professional behavior. The student must be aware that they bear the risk and responsibility for the financial investment involved when continuing to pursue the MSW degree despite concerns regarding academic standing.
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IX. Issues Not
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Resolved by the Academic
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and Professional Review Board of the School of Social Work
The Academic Hearing Board will not hear the following:
- Appeals of faculty-imposed sanctions for academic dishonesty (academic dishonesty is covered by the University and Falk College policies on academic integrity with appeal of faculty action heard by the Falk College Grievance Committee).
- Appeals of the final grade awarded in a course (heard by the Falk College Grievance Committee).
- Appeals of determinations with regard to academic standing or student conduct made by the Falk College Grievance Committee, the Dean of the College, the University Judicial System, university committees outside of the College, or senior administrators of the University.
Appendix D: Grievance and Appeals
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Procedures At the University and FALK College Level
University
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and College
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Policies for Conduct and Grievance
Formal disciplinary and grievance procedures exist at both the College and University level for handling allegations of academic dishonesty or violation of other university policies. The document, "College Grievance Committee Policies and Procedures," issued by the Falk College, explains where different types of allegations are heard. The kinds of issues covered by University-wide offices outside of the School of Social Work and the College include accusations of sexual or racial harassment and violations of the Student Code of Conduct. The College Grievance Committee is responsible for appeals of a grade, or of sanctions imposed by units within the College regarding academic dishonesty and unprofessional conduct. Additionally, the College Grievance Committee may adjudicate complaints involving academic dishonesty and unfair academic treatment of a student that come to it directly. The College grievance policy and procedures can be obtained from the Falk College Student Rights, Academic Integrity & Grievance Policies page.
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